Cops claim clues in trader’s murder

Family members of the murdered transporter at GMCH on Thursday night. Picture by UB Photos

Nov. 30: City police today claimed to have picked up some vital clues in the murder of a businessman at Basistha Chariali last night.

Senior superintendent of police (city) Anand Prakash Tiwari today said they have made some progress in the investigation but no arrest has been made so far.

“We have got some clues and a breakthrough is expected very soon,” he said.

Tiwari, however, refused to disclose anything about the clues. “We hope to arrest the culprits within a day or two,” he added.

Ajit Singh — a transporter and coal trader — was found lying unconscious with a bullet wound in his abdomen on the roadside in front of a petrol pump near Megha Plaza around 9.30pm yesterday.

Though the 48-year-old victim was immediately taken to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), doctors declared him dead on arrival.

The victim lived in an apartment in the Basistha area.

Transporters, truck owners and residents of Basistha Chariali staged a protest in front of Basistha police station this morning, demanding arrest of the guilty.

Some shops and business establishments in the area also downed shutters to protest the killing.

A police source said the body was handed over to the family after the autopsy was conducted at the GMCH this morning. The last rites will be performed tomorrow.

“He was shot by a .38 bore pistol,” the source said.

Police suspect that Singh could have been killed elsewhere and his body was dumped at the spot as nobody in the area had heard a gunshot.

He said a “clash of business interests” could have led to the murder. “Though we have got some leads, we do not want to jump to any conclusion because our probe is still on. We have zeroed in on a few suspects, among whom is an estranged business partner and some relatives of the victim,” the source said.

“We have questioned many persons, including the suspects, and also examining their (suspects’) call records and mobile tower location in order to find out where they were yesterday when the incident happened,” he said.

“One thing is for sure is that the culprits knew the victim well and were aware that he was not carrying his licensed pistol with him yesterday,” the source said.